Edwin john fletcher



(No Model.)

E. J. FLETCHER. CASE 0R BOX FR SILVRWARB, &c.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

Nrrn

rares EDWIN .IOIIN FLETCHER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THEVIIITING` MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CASE OR BOX FOR SILVERWARE, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 579,320, dated March23, 1897. Application tiled December 30, 1896. Serial No. 617.459. (Nomodel.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern.: The invention consists in adapting the ma-Be it known that I, EDWIN JOHN FLETCHER, terial to the above uses, andalso includes a a citizen of the United States, residing in New form ofhinge and stop designed to serve with York city, in the county and Stateof New this box. 55

5 York, have invented a certain new and use- By the use of my inventionthe objections ful Improvement in Cases or Boxes for Silvernoted aboveare avoided, the case is lighter ware and other Articles, of which thefollowthan usual, it is balanced, the material will ing is aspecification. not warp or change shape and may be easily In thepreferred forms of tops for cases of worked, and the labor and expenseof manu- 6o 1o this class the lower face is practically plane, factureis materially lessened.

, while the upper exposed surface is plane or The accompanying drawingsform a part of only slightly convex along the central porthisspecification and represent the manner tion and curves graduallydownward to a in which I have carried out the invention. thin edge atjunction of the two faces. It Figure l is an end view of a case. Fig. 265 I5 has be enthe practice to make the foundationis a longitudinalvertical section on the line pieces for the tops of wood ofthe required2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a thickness, out and moldedto the form decompleted top alone. Figs. 4 and 5.are rescribed above.There are objections to cases spectively longitudinal and transversesecthus manufactured, the most important be tions through the bed. Fig.6 is an end view 7o 2o ing the weight of the top, which when the of acasein the open condition. Fig. 7 is a case is empty and openoverbalance the body vertical section of a portion, showing the andcause the case to topple over. 0th* hinge and immediately adjacentparts. Figs. ers are the change of form due to warping 8, 9, and l0 aresections showing modied and the expense of production. I employ formsand constructions of the corrugated 75 25 for this purpose a materialconsisting of paper. Fig. ll is a section through a top,

' plaitedor tluted paper in sheets cemented to showing a modificationintended Jfor use on and between plane sheets, analogous to the largecases.

corrugated paper commonly used to in- Similar letters of referenceindicate the case bottles and other fragile goods in transit. same partsin all the figures. 8o

3o From this materiallcut the foundation-pieces A is the base, ot' thinwood, pasteboard, or

for the tops and also for the beds. In the like stiff material in one ormore independent most complete form of the invention I use thicknesses,having the exposed portions covtwo or more such pieces, superposed oneupon ered with ornamental paper or other envelop.

the other, with their corrugations crossing or It is rectangular inoutline, with rounded cor- 85 lying alternately longitudinally andtransners, and projects a little on all sides beversely. A layer ofwadding placed upon youd the body B,which it supports. Thelatthe pieceswithin the covering-sheet serves ter is a rectangular hoop or frame withplane to soften the angles and smoothly round the faces and bentcorners, also covered with the upper face. The material is extremelylight same ornamental paper, and may receive a 9o 4o for a giventhickness and may be flattened lining-piece B', concealing andornamenting or crushed along the margins to produce the the inner faces.The body is joined to the smoothly-rounded curve desired on the upper'base by hinges B2 and stops B3, to be deface of the top, whilemaintaining the plane scribed, arranged to allow the body and itscentral area and lower face. The fouudationtop C to be turned back to aposition at which 95 4 5 pieces for the beds are of t-he same materialthe center of gravity will lie in a line beyond and are usually providedwith openings to the hinges to maintain the box in the open receive thebowls of the spoons or other condition. swelled portions of the articleto be inclosed D is the bed inclosed within the bed-frame in the case.Such openings may be cut by D', covered with ornamental paper, andcarroo 5o dies in the operation of stamping the bed from ries a pad D2of cotton and a rich covering D5 the sheet. of silk or other fabric. Theexterior of the bed-frame D' matches so closely to the body that thefriction between the surfaces is sufcient to hold the casein the closedcondition.

The top C has the same general outline as the bodyB. Itis practicallyuniform in thickness along the central portion and curving in eachdirection therefrom to the edges, which are thinner. It is glued orotherwise secured to the upper edge of the body.

The material forming the foundation for the top is peculiar. lt consistsot' several thicknesses of paper, superposed and cemented together toform a iloorm, on which is laid a sheet in, gathered or boX-plaited intocorrugations or eonvoliitions, secured to the floor in' by glue appliedon the lower swells. The upper face is similarly cemented and receives adeck m2 like the floor m', but preferably thinner. The material soformed is analogous to the corrugated paper quite generally used toinclose and protect glass and other fragile ware in transportation. Vhenmade as above described, it produces in effect a light board ofconsiderable thickness and quite stiff and iinyielding to bendingstrains. As the iioor m is heavier and stronger than the deck m2, thelatter will crush Linder sufiicient pressure, while the former retainsits plane. This quality is important in the manufacture of the tops.Having cut the blank to the proper size and form, the margins arecrushed under a roller or polished tool, so that the edge of the decklies nearly in contact with the edge of the tloor m' on all sides andproduces the curved margin sought. When covered with the ornamentalpaper, it will retain its shape, having a plajne under surface, a planemiddle upper surface, and a smooth curve from the latter to the edge. Ifgreater thickness be required, two or more layers are superposed, withthe corrugations of one crossing those of the other at a right angle.

The completed top C as I have shown it is constructed as follows: C' isa rectangular tablet of book-board, having rounded corners, and inlength and width matching the body B. M is a piece of the corrugatedpaper described, somewhat shorter and narrower than the tablet Ci andcemented to the upper faceof the latter with its corrugations runninglongitudinally. M' is a similar piece, shorter and narrower than M, andapplied thereon with its corrugations extending transversely. Themargins of the pieces M and M are previously crushed, as above. Then asheet C2 of cotton-batting is applied and the wholeiiiclosed bya sheetC3 of the ornamental paper, drawn tightly over the edges of the tablet Cand cemented to its lower face. The result is a smooth cushion-shapedsurface curving gradually to the edge, elastic enough to resume itsshape when lightly pressed, and having a plane under face. In thefinished case this lower face appears to be padded, the effect beingproduced by applying one or more strips C4 of cotton-batting upon thelin- 'ing-piece C5, glued to the upper edge of the body B before the topC is ceineiitedin place, as set forth in a United States Patent to medated July 7, 1896, No. 563,5Sl.

The bed D is a piece of the saine material, having an opening d,produced by a suitable die, to receive the bowl of a spoon or otherswelled or prominent portion of the article to be incased and allow itto sink therein. The bed is glued to the base, and if greater thicknessbe desired two or more pieces may be placed one upon the other, with thecorrugations either parallel or at right angles.

The improved case shows an apparently massive and rich top, which at thesaine time is inexpensive and light. The latter feature is important iiithat it allows the case to stand open, as in Fig. (i, withciit fallingbackward on the removal of the iiiclosed spoon or other article, (notshowin) a fault which has been previously overcome only by theuneconomical expedient of correspondingly weighting the base.

The hin ge-j oint between the body and base is important and is shown inFig. 7. Asinall hole c, extending from the under edge of the body Baiigularly upward to a point on the inner face, is produced by theinsertion and withdrawal of a needle or tine awl. A similar hole d isprovided in the base on the line of the joint and preferablystrengthened by an eyelet d. Another hole a2, a little forward of thelatter, is also produced and may be similarly reinforced. A needlethreaded with fine but strong silk cord F is passed upward through thehole a and through the angularpassage c in the body. It is then pushedthrough the hole a2 in the base and cut off, leaving the ends free. Theends are secured to the under side of the base by glue and also by asmall piece of strong fabric G, cemented over them. One portion F of thecord serves as the hinge B2, while the other, F2, held between tlie bodyand its lining-piece Bi, serves as a stop B3 to prevent the body turningtoo far backward and sustains it in the open condition. Care must betaken to allow only sufiicient slack for this purpose, and also that thelower edge of the b'ody be drawn into close contact with the base beforethe ends are secured. There may be as many hinges and stops as aredeemed necessary.

lt will be noticed that the flexion takes place at the lower rearangleof the body, and the hinge is therefore practically concealed. The stopB3 may extend from the hole d2 parallel with the angle assumed bythebody when the case is open, so that the strain will be taken in adirect line. The eyelet prevents cutting the material of the base,andthe whole is particularly efficient in this situ ation where a light,strong, and easily-applied but inexpensive hinge is required.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions within widelimits without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingits advantages.

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Fig. 8 shows a form in which the book-board C is dispensed with, therigidity being attained by the plurality of thin sheets making up theiioor m', the thin deck m2 serving as a iioor for the second sheet ofcorrugated paper.

Fig. 9 shows the floor-sheet m and deck fm2 of the same thickness,reinforced by the bookboard C. Fig. 10 shows a thin deck with a greaternumber of sheets in the iioor. Fig. l1 shows a portion of a very thicktop made up of several layers arranged with their corrugations crossing,mounted on a sheet of heavy book-board. This construction is intended toserve in extraordinarily large cases or trunks containing large piecesoranumber of smaller ones making a set.

Although I have described the box as ind tended for use with silverwareit will be nnderstood that it may be used to inclose other articles inkindred or other lines.

The severalllayers of corrugated paper may be applied without cementbetween, depending on the covering-sheet C3 alone to hold all in place.

Instead of the cotton-batting C2, pieces of fabric or soft felt may beused. It is essential only that it be soft and yielding enough tosmoothly round the surfaces and. prevent the angular edges of the layersof corrugated paper showing through the covering.

I have shown the ends of the cord forming the hinge B2 and stop B3concealed and held between the two layers constituting the base, butthey may be continued through and covered by the ornamental paper, aswill also be the case when but one layer is employed.

Instead of the silk cord other strong and flexible material may besubstituted, such as twisted wire or strips of rawhide.

I claiml. In a case or box, the top composed of corrugated paper havingits margins crushed or flattened, and held in shape by a coveringshectstretched tightly thereover and cemented, all substantially as and forthe purposes herein speciiied.

2. In a case or box, the top composed of corlugated paper having itsmargins crushed or flattened, in combination with a reinforcingtablet ofstrong material applied on its under face, and acovering-sheet'stretched tightly on the upper face of said corrugatedpaper, extending over said margins and cemented to the under face ofsaid reinforcing-tablet, all substantially as herein specified.

3. In a case or box, the piece M of corrugated paper consisting of thefloor m', the corrugated sheet m cemented thereto and the deck m2cemented to the upper face of said corrugated sheet, the said iioorbeing heavier than said deck to maintain its form when said deck andcorrugated sheet are crushed along the margins, in combination with acovering-sheet stretched on said deck and extending over the edges tohold the top in shape, all substantially as herein specified.

4:. In atop for a case or box, the reinforcingtablet C', two or morepieces M, M of corrugated paper superposed one upon the other with thecorrugations at right angles, each shorter and narrower than the nextbelow, and having the margins crushed or fiattened, in combination witha covering-sheet stretched over and inclosing the whole and cemented tothe under face of said tablet, all substantially as herein specified.

5. In atop for a case or box, the reinforcingtablet C, two or morepieces IWI, M of corrugated paper superposed one upon the other with thecorrugations at right angles, each shorter and narrower than the nextbelow, and having the margins crushed or flattened, in combination withthe padding C2 and a covering-sheet stretched over and inclosing thewhole and cemented to the under face of said tablet, all substantiallyas herein speciiied.

6. In a case or box, the bed D of corrugated paper having the opening dtherein, in combination 'with the bed-frame D', padding D2 and coveringD3, all substantially as herein specified.

7. In a case or box, the base A, bed D of corrugated paper having theopening d therein, the bed-frame D', padding D2 and covering D3, incombination with the body B hinged to the base and inclosing saidbed-frame, the top C of corrugated paper m, m', fm2, padding C2 andcovering-sheet C3, and the stops B3 to limit the motion of said body andtop relatively to said base, all substantially as herein specified.

8. The hinge described consisting of a flexible cord extending throughthe base into and through the rear portion of the body diagonally fromthe lower rear angle of the edge to a point on the inner face, thencedownward again through the base and having the ends fastened, incombination with said body and base and forming a hinge and stoptherefor, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

9. The base A having the holes a and a2, the body B having the hole creaching diagonally from the lower rear angle of the edge -to the innerface, in combination withv a flexible member extending through saidholes as shown and having the ends fastened, the reinforce G securingsaid ends, the said cord `being concealed in said base and body and bythe covering material, all substantially as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forthI affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN J OIIN FLETCHER.

Witnesses Roer. CONNOR, Gno. W. Casa, Jr.

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